The instant invention relates to dolls and more particularly to a method of making a unique ornamental doll and to a doll made in accordance with the method.
Ornamental dolls of various types have been found to be highly popular with children as well as with many adults. In this regard, it has been found that many children and adults enjoy collecting interesting and attractive dolls, particularly those dolls which are highly ornamental in appearance. However, because most of the heretofore available ornamental dolls have been constructed with various relatively complicated manufacturing processes they have generally been relatively expensive. Further, because most of the heretofore available ornamental dolls have been constructed in automated assembly processes they have not been readily adapted for wide varieties of ornamental constructions in relatively small scale operations.
It has generally been found that various household items can be utilized for making dolls and ornaments of various types in small scale operations. For example, it has been found that dolls comprising skirt portions made from the lids of metal cans which have been formed into generally conical configuration can be made in small scale operations and provide interesting and ornamental dolls. However, the previously known procedures for forming the skirt portions and the remaining components of dolls of this general type as well as the previously known procedures for assembling the remaining components of dolls with the skirt portions thereof have generally been less than effective do to the relatively difficult problem of securing the head and body portions of dolls of this type to the skirt portions thereof.
The instant invention provides an effective method of forming a doll of the general type comprising a skirt portion which is formed from a substantially circular formable sheet, such as the metal lid of a can. Specifically, the method of the instant invention comprises the steps of forming a skirt portion from a substantially circular, substantially rigid, thin, formable sheet by cutting three closely spaced, substantially parallel slits in the sheet which extend inwardly to substantially the center thereof. The slits are formed so that they define a pair of elongated narrow strips and so that the remainder of the sheet defines a main portion of substantially circular configuration. The sheet is then further formed by bending the main portion thereof into a partially conical configuration wherein at least the outermost portions of the edges of the main portion defined by the slits are in closely adjacent relation. The strips are then bent outwardly in opposite directions in spaced relation to the outer surface of the main portion so that the connected ends of the strips and the edges of the main portion defined by the slits cooperate to form an aperture in the sheet. The main portion of the sheet is then preferably crimped to further form it into an at least partially corrugated configuration and thereafter a fabric material is preferably applied to the outer surfaces of the main portion.
In the next step of the method a character figure portion is formed to include a body portion which is dimensioned to be received in the interior of the conical main portion of the skirt portion, a head portion, and an elongated neck portion extending between the head portion and the body portion. The body portion is preferably made from a formable material, such as styrofoam, and a fabric material is preferably applied to the outer surfaces of the body portion. The head portion is preferably of substantially spherical configuration and it has a reduced opening therethrough and the neck portion is preferably made from an elongated piece of wood, such as a wooden match stick. The neck portion is preferably assembled with the body portion by applying an adhesive to the neck portion and then inserting the neck portion into the body portion so that it penetrates the material of the body portion to adhesively secure the neck portion to the body portion. The neck portion is preferably adhesively secured to the head portion so that the neck portion extends into the opening in the head portion. In addition, the character figure portion preferably includes a hat portion on the head portion, and the hat portion is preferably made from a fabric material and secured to the head portion by passing an elongated pin having an enlarged head thereon through the hat portion, through the opening in the head portion along with the wooden neck portion and then into the body portion. The pin preferably comprises a pearl pin to provide an ornamentation on the hat portion and the head portion is preferably decorated with conventional facial markings.
In the next step of the method the character figure portion is assembled with the skirt portion so that the body portion is received in the interior of the skirt portion and so that the neck portion extends through the aperture in the skirt portion to position the head portion above the skirt portion. This is preferably carried out by separating the rear corner portions of the main portion of the skirt portion slightly and then passing the neck portion of the character figure portion into the aperture in the skirt portion so that the body portion is received in the conical main portion of the skirt portion and so that the head portion is disposed above the skirt portion. This can normally be done by separating the rear corner portions of the skirt portion slightly without actually bending the skirt portion so that the skirt portion resiliently returns to its original position after the neck portion has been passed into the aperture in the skirt portion.
It has been found that the method of the instant invention can be effectively utilized for forming attractive ornamental dolls. In this regard, by forming a character figure portion so that it includes an elongated neck portion and by then assembling the character figure portion with a skirt portion so that the neck portion passes through an aperture in the skirt portion, it is possible to effectively assemble the various components of the doll in a simple assembly operation without gluing or otherwise securing the various components, such as the head portion and the body portion directly to the skirt portion. As a result, complicated and potentially messy assembly techniques wherein the body portion and the head portion are adhesively secured to the skirt portion can be avoided and the character figure portion can be effectively assembled and secured to the skirt portion of the doll.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the instant invention to provide an effective and practical method of making a doll of the general type comprising a skirt portion made from a substantially circular thin formable sheet.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide an effective method of forming a doll comprising a skirt portion made from a substantially circular thin formable sheet wherein a character figure portion comprising a body portion, a head portion and a neck portion is assembled with the skirt portion so that the neck portion of the body portion extends through an aperture in the skirt portion.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.